For U.S. freight traffic, gains keep accumulating

U.S. freight rail traffic continued growing in the week ending July 5, 2014, measured against the comparable week in 2013, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday, July 10, 2014.

U.S. freight carload traffic moved up an impressive 9.4%, while U.S. intermodal volume maintained its momentum, up 10.5%, compared with the same week in 2013. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was up a solid 9.9%.

Notably, all 10 of the carload commodity groups AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including motor vehicles and parts , up 53.7%, grain, up 21.7%, and metallic ores and metals, up 14.5%.

Canadian railroads fared well as well. Canadian freight carload traffic for the week ending July 5 rose 12.4% from the comparable week in 2013, while Canadian intermodal volume advanced 12.9%. Mexican railroads fared less well, with Mexican freight carload traffic down 2.2% for the week, though Mexican intermodal volume did better, up 12%.

Combined North American freight carload traffic for the first 27 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2.7% measured against the comparable period in 2013. Combined North American intermodal volume for the period was 6% above the 2013 counterpart.